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A paternity and child custody case has given the Indiana Court of Appeals a chance to examine a newly amended evidence rule
for the first time, while simultaneously offering guidance to trial judges about using publicly accessible information to
dispose of cases.

The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that two former leaders in the Indiana State Teachers Association who served as trustees
for a legally separate insurance trust can’t force the trust’s governing board to adhere to arbitration clauses
outlined in their ISTA employment contracts.

While recognizing that the state’s practice of allowing late introduction of evidence basically rewards attorneys who
don’t prepare for trial, the Indiana Court of Appeals looked beyond that practice in a recent decison to how the rules
still protect a person’s right to a fair trial.

The Indiana Supreme Court couldn’t agree on the appropriate sanction for an attorney who engaged in an improper ex parte
communication with a judge, leaving one judge to argue for at least a 90-day suspension.

Faults in the state’s mental health system can’t be used to justify an insanity defense being rejected in favor
of a different sentence that will keep a person locked up, an Indiana Supreme Court majority ruled.

The Indiana Supreme Court is shaking its proverbial finger at a company it found had engaged in the unauthorized practice
of law, making it clear that the court’s orders must be followed or non-compliant litigants will be sanctioned.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment for an insurer on the issue of whether the commercial general policy
covered faulty subcontractor work, citing a similar case recently ruled on by the Indiana Supreme Court. The Circuit Court
also dealt with an issue surrounding umbrella policies for the first time.

The Indiana Tax Court has denied the state’s motion to dismiss a mother and daughter’s challenge to the jeopardy
tax assessments made against them after the state found they didn’t pay taxes on their sales of puppies.

The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled on a matter of first impression today, analyzing a specific state statute relating to how
a court can cancel child support arrearage after a man’s paternity is vacated based on new genetic testing.